WASHINGTON (CNS) – La Corte de Apelaciones del Noveno Circuito de EE. UU. se alineó el 14 de septiembre con el plan del presidente Donald Trump de poner fin al TPS que otorga un permiso de trabajo y un indulto de deportación a ciertas personas cuyos países han experimentado desastres naturales, conflictos armados o situaciones excepcionales, para permanecer temporalmente en los Estados Unidos. Se espera que el fallo afecte a los titulares de TPS de El Salvador, Haití, Honduras, Nicaragua, Sudán y Nepal. Ashley Feasley, directora de políticas de los Servicios de Migración y Refugiados de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos dijo que “…Ha terminado, pero significa que hay un período de cierre de seis meses No afecta el estado de las personas este año. Todavía se les permitiría quedarse aquí y obtener una licencia de conducir y las autorizaciones de trabajo que tienen ahora.”
Por Danny McArthur Daily Journal TUPELO – Para María Pérez, miembro del Ministerio Hispano de la Iglesia Católica St. James en Tupelo, la pandemia en curso ha tenido un profundo precio emocional. Pérez, quien se considera una persona muy cariñosa, dijo que no poder interactuar físicamente con la gente ha sido increíblemente difícil. Para ella, los amigos son familia, y no poder abrazar y hablar con los demás ha sido una lucha. Y la pandemia ha puesto a su esposo, Salvador, increíblemente ansioso. La fe los está sacando adelante, dijo. “Mi fe ha sido la más fuerte, sabiendo que nada es más grande que el Señor,” dijo. “Todo pasará excepto el amor y la compasión que el Señor tiene por nosotros”. La fe guía a los miembros del Ministerio Hispano de St. James en casi todos los aspectos de sus vidas. Es algo que la pandemia no ha cambiado. Impacto en la Iglesia Cuando comenzó la pandemia, la iglesia tuvo que cerrar sus puertas a los servicios en persona. La coordinadora de la comunidad hispana de St. James, Raquel Thompson, dijo que entonces comenzaron a centrarse en el acceso. Los servicios se grabaron y se publicaron en Facebook para que las familias pudieran participar desde casa. “A muchas personas les afectó espiritualmente el no poder estar en la iglesia. Creo que tuvo un gran impacto,” dijo Thompson. Para el padre César Sánchez, pastor asociado quien comenzó en St. James el 1 de julio, la iglesia quiere mostrarle a su congregación que nunca están realmente cerrados. Como sacerdote, era más difícil celebrar y predicar a una cámara, pero Sánchez lo vio como una oportunidad para aprovechar las redes sociales para llegar a más personas que antes. “En estos dos meses, julio y agosto, desde nuestro punto de vista como iglesia, nunca cerramos la iglesia,” dijo Sánchez. “Le dije a la gente; ‘El evangelio no está cerrado. Aunque no puede venir a la iglesia, la iglesia llega a su casa a través de Misas en línea y en Facebook’.” Incluso una vez que St. James reabrió, era importante mantener a todos a salvo. Thompson tiene más de 250 familias registradas en su ministerio y dijo que la iglesia en general ministra a más de 400 familias. También hay muchas familias que no se registran. Los servicios se ven diferentes en estos días. En lugar de tener de 300 a 400 personas en la Misa en español, la asistencia está limitada a 150. También hay más servicios de Misa los martes, jueves y viernes para cubrir las necesidades espirituales. Además de limitar la cantidad de personas adentro, también comenzaron a requerir máscaras y distanciamiento social. El saneamiento ocurre entre cada Misa.
TUPELO – Miembros de St James oran durante la Misa en español celebrada por el padre Timothy Morphy. Para muchos miembros de la iglesia católica, la fe los ha ayudado y guiado para atravesar los momentos dificiles de la pandemia. (Fotos por Adam Robinson, Daily Journal).
Distanciado Socialmente Varios miembros de la iglesia citaron sentirse socialmente afectados por COVID-19. Para Oralio Martínez de Tupelo, la pandemia ha afectado mentalmente a su familia. Dijo que está agradecida con Dios porque su familia no ha sufrido económicamente, aunque sus vidas definitivamente han cambiado. “Tenemos que estar en casa, no podemos ir a ningún lado”, dijo en español. “Tenemos miedo de salir porque hay mucha gente o donde hay muchas reuniones. Hemos sido muy limitados “. Marco López dijo que el cambio provocado por la pandemia ha sido drástico y difícil para una familia acostumbrada a pasar tiempo juntos asistiendo a Misa, a los partidos de béisbol de su nieto o realizando actividades. Pero la pandemia también le ha enseñado a López la importancia de pasar tiempo con su familia. López, empleado de BancorpSouth, dijo que trabajar desde casa durante la pandemia le ha permitido pasar más tiempo con su esposa, Verónica Salgado. “Solíamos tener reuniones, especialmente los domingos después de la Misa con algunos de nuestros amigos, así que no tener eso fue un impacto. Para el distanciamiento social, no pudimos hacer eso … pero lo que no pudimos hacer con otras familias, lo hicimos con la nuestra,” dijo López. La familia se turna para tener la Misa dominical en casa, ya sea en su hogar o en el de su hija que vive en Shannon y almuerzan juntos en casa en lugar de ir a un restaurante. Papel de la fe La iglesia representa un poco de normalidad en tiempos extraños y difíciles. Martínez envió recientemente a su hijo de regreso a la escuela, diciendo que era importante que tuviera algo familiar. Ella piensa que es más beneficioso para él regresar a la escuela con sus compañeros. Sánchez dijo que la fe juega un papel importante en la comunidad hispana y es la razón por la que han visto a más personas regresar a los servicios en persona. “Realmente necesitan orar y quieren venir a la iglesia y orar porque saben que, durante este tiempo, necesitamos aumentar nuestra fe, nuestra oración,” dijo Sánchez.
TUPELO– El padre Timothy Murphy celebra una Misa en español en la iglesia de St James, en la noche del martes, primero de septiembre.
López dijo que lo que está haciendo que su familia atraviese este momento es la oración. Salgado comenzó a rezar con la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia en Facebook Live con amigos en marzo, y López dijo que cree que los ha unido y fortalecido. “Superamos la situación de estar en casa y ponernos en cuarentena mediante la oración. Seguimos haciendo eso … Llevamos casi seis meses y nos enamoramos más de esa oración,” dijo López. Para María Pérez, la fe es la razón por la cual envió a sus hijos de regreso a la escuela en lugar de la educación a distancia. Admitió sentir cierta ansiedad inicial por enviar a sus hijos de regreso a la escuela. Pero luego, pensó en cómo regresar a la sociedad, incluso si cambia, tiene lecciones para que sus hijos aprendan. El camino a través de la pandemia dijo, es a través del cuidado mutuo. “Quiero que mis hijos sepan que no se puede vivir con miedo. Pase lo que pase, debes enfrentar la situación,” dijo Pérez. Y tener un poco de fe. “Recuerde, hace siglos, hemos tenido epidemias y cosas como esta, y la gente sale de ellas,” dijo. “Tenga confianza en el Señor que esto está permitido por una razón y para seguir viviendo su vida y tratar de vivir su vida con tanta gracia como pueda”.
(Este artículo fue publicado por el Daily Journal de Tupelo el 6 de septiembre de 2020. Siga a su autor en danny.mcarthur@journalinc.com; Twitter: @Danny_McArthur_. Ana Acosta, Raquel Thompson y Berta Mexidor proporcionaron traducciones para esta historia.)
Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús Jueves, oct.1ro Santos Ángeles de la Guarda Viernes, oct. 2 San Francisco de Asís. Domingo, oct. 4 Virgen del Rosario Patrona de Guatemala. Miércoles, oct. 7 Virgen del Pilar y Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Aparecida Patrona de Brazil. Lunes, oct. 12 Día del Descubriendo de América. Columbus Day. Lunes, oct. 12 Santa Teresa de Jesús. Jueves, oct. 15 Día de San Juan Pablo II. Jueves, oct. 22 San Antonio Maria Claret Sábado, oct. 24 San Judas Tadeo. Miércoles, oct. 28
MERIDIAN – (Above) St. Patrick Parish Confirmation, Aug. 22, First Row (l-r): Father Andrew Nguyen, Hannah Grace Hannington, Kirstie Graves, Maci Manning, Dennilyn Hoang, Callie Matthews and Marisol Garcia. Second Row: Miller Hodge, Zane Pritchard, Toan (Tom Tom) Nguyen, Seth Auzennne, Father Augustine Palimattam, Zachary Purdy, Rebecca Lee and Maria Mayo-Ramos. Pictured Below: Hayden Dickerson receives the sacrament of Confirmation from Father Augustine Palimattam. (Photos by John Harwell)
VICKSBURG – St. Michael Parish, Confirmation, Front Row: Faith Beamish, Samantha Graves, Alana Latorre, Anna Lamanilao, Christina Waisner and Keely Ramshur. Middle Row: Victoria Morehead, Katlyn Donovan, Julia Liggett, Mary Reilly Powell, Grace Gannon, Leah Larson and Maggie Roberson. Back Row: Father P.J. Curley, Dillon Chambers, Andy Bufkin, Father Robert Dore, Jack Gannon and Carter Magee. (Photo by Helene Benson)
JACKSON – Gemma Metzger celebrated her First Communion at St.Richard Parish on June 21. (Photo by Gina Metzger)
OXFORD – St. John the Evangelist, First Communion, July 17, Pictured (l-r): Garrett Klawitter, Daniel Peters, Jack Whelan, John Whelan, Emily Guerrero, Alyssa Schamell, Hailey Thompson, Ashley Neal, Father Joe Tonos, Celestina-Ly Rodrigues, Lila Merkel, Madeline Thornton, Mary Elizabeth Brents, Collins Helveston, Jacob Albright and Grayson Knapp. (Photo by Gene Buglewicz)
AMORY – Georgie Hesse and Loretta Seifert received their First Holy Communion on Saturday, Aug. 29, at St. Helen Church in Amory in a special Mass with their families. (Photo by Jean Pinkley)
PEARL – Patience Beatrice-Celeste Brown received the sacrament of Confirmation on July 26 at St. Jude Parish. She is pictured with her proud parents Allison and Kimberley Naylor. (Photo by Kimberley Brown)
VICKSBURG – (Above) St. Michael Parish, First Communion, Front Row (l-r): Ashlyn Naya, Blakely Farrell, Andrew Blake and Sophia Purdy. Back Row (l-r): Lanie Weeks, Mary Helen Bradley, Father Robert Dore, Noah Ponder and Jackson Ratliff. (Photo by Helene Benson)
FOREST – St. Michael Parish, First Communion class. (Photo courtesy of Father Roberto Mena, ST)
GREENWOOD – Father Joachim Studwell, OFM celebrated the sacrament of First Communion on Saturday, Aug. 1 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. (Photo courtesy of Father Joachim Studwell)
SOUTHAVEN – Henry Bowling of Holy Spirit Hernando celebrated his First Communion at Christ the King Parish on Aug. 1. (Photo by Terra Bowling)
CARTHAGE – St. Anne Parish, Confirmation, Front row: (l-r) Father Gustavo Amell, ST, Tracy Lopez, Daysy Modesto, Yazmin Gonzalez, Yocelyn Gonzalez, Evelio Ramirez and Nicodemo Lopez (catequist). Back row: (l-r)Edgar Modesto, Anthony Garcia, Sandra Perez, Father Odel Medina, ST, Efrain Lopez, Giovany Garcia and Karol Lopez. (Photo courtesy of Oscar Aguilon)
St. Anne Parish, Confirmation, Front row: (l-r) Hugo Agustin, Marco Vasquez, Mirna Miranda, Yesica Lopez, Cheryl Salvador, Suleima Anahi and Nicodemo Lopez (catequist). Second row: (l-r) Anderson Morales, Father Odel Medina, ST and Hector Raul. (Photo by Gionavy Garcia)
FLOWOOD – Alexander Jose Quintero celebrated his First Communion at St. Paul Parish on Aug. 9. He is pictured here with his family after the service. (Photo by Carolina Quintero)
By Berta Mexidor JACKSON – Health and economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 have been felt across the world. To help in the U.S., Catholic Extension launched the Sisters on the Frontlines alliance in late June in response to the pandemic, taking particular care to aid communities disproportionately afflicted by poverty and a lack of resources. The goal of the initiative is to give 1,000 sisters, $1,000 each to provide rapid response to the poor and distressed. So far, five sisters in the Diocese of Jackson have received funds from through this special program – Sister Lael Niblick and Sister Mary Christine Fellerhoff of St. Helen Amory; Sister Nancy Schreck of Excel in Okalona; and Sister Maria Eugenia Moreno, MGSpS and Obdulia Olivar, MGSpS of St. Michael Forest. According to Joe Boland, vice president of mission for Catholic Extension, the funds are unrestricted and the process to request and receive funds is simple.
“If they’re engaged in some ministry that is serving the poor — or have access to the poor — they determine how the money will be spent,” Boland said. “They know the ones in their communities, they know the names, the faces, the families. They will be able to deliver it or organize it in such a way that support goes to those who have the greatest need.” Sister Obdulia, working with Hispanic families in Scott County affected by the ICE raids of Aug. 2019 and now impacted by COVID-19, said “Families to help are many, it was not difficult to identify them. We know what families were impacted by COVID and which ones were in most need of [this] help.” Boland said that the sisters may serve anywhere, not just the 87 U.S. dioceses in Catholic Extension’s territory. Funding is released as it is raised, and Catholic Extension continues to seek donations to underwrite the program. The Diocese of Jackson has been blessed by the service of many orders of sisters over the years: The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes, – CSA; Missionaries Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit, MGSpS; School Sisters of Notre Dame, SSND; Sisters of Humility of Mary, CHM; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, RSM; Daughters of Charity, DC; Sisters of Charity of Halifax, SC; Franciscan Sisters, OSF; Sisters of the Living Word, SLW; Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, OCD; Dominican Sisters of Springfield, OP; Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, FSPA; Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, SCN School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, WI – OSF; Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, SNJM; Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, S.H.Sp.; Union of the Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM, PBVM; and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province – CSJ. Since the program began in June, 378 sisters have received support from the Sisters on the Frontline grant program and another 622 have requested funds. Sisters who have received funding are asked to report back to Catholic Extension as to how the funds were used. Catholic Extension will be sharing the sisters’ stories as they are received. To learn more or to donate, visit https://www.catholicextension.org/sisters-on-the-frontlines/.
COLUMBUS – On Aug. 27, kindergarten students practiced their parachuting skills in P.E. class with Father Jeffrey Waldrep. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
NATCHEZ – (Below) Teens, parents and Knights of Columbus joined together to work on yards on Sunday, Aug. 30. Every six weeks youth from St. Mary Basilica get together with the Knights of Columbus to work on the yard of an older person who needs help. (Photo by Carrie Lambert)
JACKSON – (Left) Father Nick Adam recently spoke to the sixth grade classes at Saint Richard School about vocations. The children had the opportunity to ask questions and visit with Father Nick about his new role as director of vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. (Photo by Emily Myers Garner)
By Joe Lee MADISON – Parishioners at St. James Parish of Leland were greeted in a recent church bulletin with this sobering news regarding their annual parish fair:
“The council felt that it was in the best interest of the community to postpone the upcoming fair. Without it, we will have substantial loss of income. Discussion was held regarding ways to offset this loss. Any contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please mark your contributions ‘Parish Fair.’”
A tiny Mississippi Delta town with a population of less than 4,000, Leland is in an economically-depressed area to begin with, and this month’s cancellation of St. James’ biggest annual fundraiser — which debuted in 1933 — was not an easy decision to make. While health and safety concerns came first, the loss of the event puts the parish in a significant financial hole.
“We (usually) serve about 800 spaghetti plates with meatballs, all homemade by the ladies of the church from a very old recipe,” said Debbie Ruggeri, St. James Parish secretary. “They’re served in the parish hall, where we also have a silent auction. The outside booths — a ribeye booth, a ham booth, a bingo booth, and teddy bear and fishing booths for children — usually handle about 1,000 people. Everything is donated.”
Raffle tickets are also sold, and those who purchase the highest-priced $100 tickets are competing for a $10,000 grand prize. Not only are the loyal parishioners of St. James missing the badly-needed fellowship opportunities amid the pandemic, the gaps in the parish budget will be felt for some time. St. James is not alone. At St. Joseph of Gluckstadt, Germanfest has been a September staple since the 1980s and draws crowds of 10,000. Attendees drive in from neighboring states as well as all corners of Mississippi.
“The family-oriented festival is best known for its delicious German food, including bratwurst, shish kabobs, and homemade sauerkraut,” said Pam Minninger, St. Joseph lay ecclesial minister. “Visitors also look forward to participating in the beer stein-holding contest and authentic German Folk music and dancing.”
“A significant amount of the proceeds is donated to local charities. Hopefully we will be able to absorb the shortfall and still be able to support some of these charities this year.”
With no way of knowing what the pandemic restrictions on large groups will be from month to month, St. James has postponed their parish fair until early 2021 and are having initial discussions about possibly having a modified event. Likewise, talks are underway at St. Joseph about cooking up a small-scale Germanfest.
“We are anticipating, at some point after the first of the year, possibly having some type of take-out bratwurst meal that folks can come by and pick up,” Minninger said. “That way they can get their ‘German food fix.’”
Cajun Fest at nearby St. Francis of Assisi in Madison is that parish’s largest fundraiser and features mouthwatering Cajun delicacies and lots of family-friendly fun. With an extensive facilities overhaul and building campaign underway, the cancellation of this year’s event (already delayed from May until October) will leave a deep shortfall in parish fundraising. St. Francis will go virtual, however, in an effort to make back at least some of the losses.
“We will host live the drawing of our annual raffle associated with Cajun Fest at 2 p.m. on October 4,” said Father Albeenreddy Vatti, St. Francis of Assisi pastor. “We chose this date because it is Feast Day for St. Francis, our patron saint. Annually, we celebrate this day with an event, A Taste of St. Francis. It is a time we can gather and celebrate the many cultures that make up our parish with great food and music.” One of the more disheartening cancellations is the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration at Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksdale. Because of pandemic concerns, the small parish hasn’t yet reopened for services and, without the anniversary event, must find other ways to raise money to fund facility upgrades and insurance payments on the church building.
“It has been customary that a fun gathering with a cookout or soul food dinner is planned during the week of the anniversary,” said Father Raju Macharla, Immaculate Conception pastor. “In January the members met to plan a jubilant celebration, and plans were made for a Mass with a reception planned for Sept. 5 to coincide with Bishop Joseph Kopacz’s trip to Mound Bayou that evening.
“One of the highlights would have been to visit with former teachers, students, sisters, priests, and parishioners. We had already started reminding them to save the date and have received regrets and disappointments since the pandemic has occurred.”
Catholic Charities also lost their annual Journey of Hope fundraising luncheon to COVID-19, but the organization — thanks in part to the flexibility of keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart — is back on the calendar for early 2021.
“We’re still at the Jackson Convention Complex and set for February 25,” said Michael Thomas, Catholic Charities development director. “We would have seated ten to a table and will now seat six, but we will have more available tables. Everyone will wear masks to enter and exit unless the mask order has been lifted by then.
“At the meet-and-greet the evening before, we’ll have a book signing with Elizabeth, a paid event at 6 p.m. at a location that has yet to be determined. Her story covers so much of what we do at Catholic Charities in our counseling: kidnapping, rape, domestic violence, and abuse. She is wonderful to work with and has such a strong faith in God.”
Thomas said that a Peer to Peer social media campaign will launch Sept. 15 to begin recouping the loss of funding from this month’s Journey of Hope cancellation. Football coach Lou Holtz drew nearly 1,000 attendees in 2016, and hopes are high that Smart, who was abducted from her Utah family home in 2002 at the age of fourteen before being rescued nine months later, will pack the convention complex in February.
Ultimately, while some events can’t be recreated — Immaculate Conception will never have another seventy-fifth anniversary — many parishes and organizations are thinking creatively and trying to find silver linings in preparing for the future.
“We normally have our Bishop’s Ball each year, and this year we had a virtual event,” Thomas said. “It was a great success and touched more people than the usual ones. We had the live auction online a week before, and everything sold — we were shocked. Wanda Thomas is our new executive director and hosted the hour-long event on Facebook. We were faced with either no Bishop’s Ball or thinking of another way.”
By Catholic News Service LAKE CHARLES, La (CNS) – Hurricane Laura destroyed six churches in the Diocese of Lake Charles, left a dozen others “highly compromised” and did heavy damage to chancery offices. The diocese, in a report posted on its website, said that only one of six Catholic schools reopened Aug. 31, while the others needed at least some repairs before classes could resume. The storm, which slammed southern Louisiana with winds of up to 150 mph in the early hours of Aug. 27, also left a diocesan rectory housing 20 priests, a third of them in active ministry, uninhabitable. Some of the priests were able to relocate to rectories that sustained little or no damage, while others moved into Vianney House, a diocesan residence for people discerning a vocation, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in central Lake Charles and private homes. Utilities, including power and water, in much of the region remained out Aug. 31.
Buildings damaged by Hurricane Laura are seen in an Aug. 30, 2020, aerial photograph in Lake Charles, La. (CNS photo/Drone Base, Reuters)
The devastation was widespread, according to Bishop Glen J. Provost, bishop of the Lake Charles Diocese. The roof of the chancery collapsed during the storm, leaving the building unusable, and a diocesan building across the street from the chancery sustained minor damage with broken windows from the fierce winds. “The city is a disaster. No houses, no business is left untouched. The chancery will be unusable in the foreseeable future. We have 39 parishes and seven missions. All suffered some damage,” Bishop Provost said. Hurricane Laura was the most powerful hurricane to strike southwest Louisiana, surpassing the devastation of Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Audrey in 1957, the diocese said. Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana began providing emergency relief within hours after the storm passed. “We are here, we are open and we trying to meet the needs of the community,” the diocesan report quoted Mercy Sister Miriam MacLean, the agency’s director, saying. “The Lord preserved Catholic Charities from any major damage for sure so that we can be up and operational,” she said. “We have a little bit of leakage in the roof and a couple of roll-up doors got a little damage, but we are blessed. We have a generator and the Religious Sisters of Mercy are running the office.” The diocese reported that one of its newly ordained priests, Father Joseph Caraway, parochial vicar at St. Henry Church in St. Charles, used a chainsaw to clear a path so the Mercy sisters could return to their convent. The priest then delivered food to homebound residents in the city, the diocese said. The Knights of Columbus donated $150,000 to the Diocese of Lake Charles to assist with recovery efforts. Bishop Provost rode out the storm at a parish in the northern part of the diocese. “It is extremely important for me to live in my house in the diocese so I can be available to the priests and to the faithful,” said Bishop Provost, who has headed the diocese since 2007. “Some gentlemen from the cathedral parish bulldozed my driveway so that I could get to my house. Every tree in my yard, except maybe three or four, were downed. You can barely see my house from Lake Street because of all the downed trees.” He reached out and offered prayers to all diocesan churches hours after the storm swept through the area. The six destroyed churches are Our Lady of the Assumption in Johnson Bayou; Our Lady of the Lake in Lake Charles; Our Lady of the Sea in Cameron; Sacred Heart of Jesus in Creole; St. Eugene in Grand Chenier; and St. Peter the Apostle in Hackberry. “Most of what I have witnessed so far has been wind damage,” Bishop Provost said. He said Mass will continue to be celebrated when possible throughout the diocese. “We appreciate everyone’s prayers. Bishops in other dioceses have sent word of assistance to us, so we appreciate the fellowship of the other Catholic dioceses throughout the nation. I have heard from bishops on the East and West coasts and especially in Texas and Louisiana,” he said. As for the schools, only Our Lady Immaculate in Jennings was prepared to reopen Aug. 31. The diocese reported that Father Keith Pellerin, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Jennings, said that classes would resume at the school. St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles sustained severe damage during the storm’s onslaught. “Father (Nathan) Long, rector of the school, reported that the roof of the administration building is, for the most part, blown off. Windows in various classrooms are blown in and there is roof damage at the gym,” Father Pellerin said. Bishop Provost spoke with Principal Trevor Donnelly of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School in Lake Charles, who reported minor damage to the building. However, the adjacent parish church sustained “substantial” damage. The parish rectory’s roof was significantly damaged, making it uninhabitable. Volunteers were on hand Aug. 30 to clear trees and debris from the parish property. Bishop Provost plans to visit as many parishes as possible to survey the storm’s impact firsthand. Catholic Charities planned to distribute food, water and tarps to families in need. Sister MacLean said the dioceses of Beaumont, Texas, and Lafayette, Louisiana, will store donated supplies because her agency’s facility does not have enough storage space. Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont, Texas, helped deliver bottled water and also prepared meals to Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana despite having to assess storm damage in his diocese to the west. He said the damage in Beaumont was much less severe than in Lake Charles. Sister MacLean also said people who were evacuated to hotels will need vouchers to remain there until other housing arrangements can be made. Long-term shelter will become a major need for people left homeless by Hurricane Laura, she said.
By Berta Mexidor JACKSON – Health and economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 have been felt across the world. To help in the U.S., Catholic Extension launched the Sisters on the Frontlines alliance in late June in response to the pandemic, taking particular care to aid communities disproportionately afflicted by poverty and a lack of resources. The goal of the initiative is to give 1,000 sisters, $1,000 each to provide rapid response to the poor and distressed. So far, five sisters in the Diocese of Jackson have received funds from through this special program – Sister Lael Niblick and Sister Mary Christine Fellerhoff of St. Helen Amory; Sister Nancy Schreck of Excel in Okalona; and Sister Maria Eugenia Moreno, MGSpS and Obdulia Olivar, MGSpS of St. Michael Forest. According to Joe Boland, vice president of mission for Catholic Extension, the funds are unrestricted and the process to request and receive funds is simple.
“If they’re engaged in some ministry that is serving the poor — or have access to the poor — they determine how the money will be spent,” Boland said. “They know the ones in their communities, they know the names, the faces, the families. They will be able to deliver it or organize it in such a way that support goes to those who have the greatest need.” Sister Obdulia, working with Hispanic families in Scott County affected by the ICE raids of Aug. 2019 and now impacted by COVID-19, said “Families to help are many, it was not difficult to identify them. We know what families were impacted by COVID and which ones were in most need of [this] help.” Boland said that the sisters may serve anywhere, not just the 87 U.S. dioceses in Catholic Extension’s territory. Funding is released as it is raised, and Catholic Extension continues to seek donations to underwrite the program. The Diocese of Jackson has been blessed by the service of many orders of sisters over the years: The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes, – CSA; Missionaries Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit, MGSpS; School Sisters of Notre Dame, SSND; Sisters of Humility of Mary, CHM; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, RSM; Daughters of Charity, DC; Sisters of Charity of Halifax, SC; Franciscan Sisters, OSF; Sisters of the Living Word, SLW; Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, OCD; Dominican Sisters of Springfield, OP; Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, FSPA; Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, SCN School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, WI – OSF; Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, SNJM; Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, S.H.Sp.; Union of the Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM, PBVM; and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province – CSJ. Since the program began in June, 378 sisters have received support from the Sisters on the Frontline grant program and another 622 have requested funds. Sisters who have received funding are asked to report back to Catholic Extension as to how the funds were used. Catholic Extension will be sharing the sisters’ stories as they are received. To learn more or to donate, visit https://www.catholicextension.org/sisters-on-the-frontlines/.
MADISON – Father Aaron Williams and Dr. Andrew Abide wait to see if Phil Mansour sinks his put at the Lake Caroline golf course for the 2020 Bishop’s Cup Golf Scramble. Funds raised from the tournament and silent auction went to support the Catholic Foundation Grant Trust. Congratulations to the tournament winners. The BankFirst team of Marcus Mallory, Chase Frazure, Walker Brown and John Oller for came in first place. Second place (tied) was the Tico’s Steakhouse team of Tico Hoffman, Jack Hoffman, Father Gerry Hurley and Joe Beall. Also in second was the Campus Dining team of Michael Prince, Barry Planch, Steve Shirley and Jimmy Bailey. (Photo by Julia Williams)
